Yesterday I published a video about one of my favorite devices to ever exist — the iPad. Forever revolutionizing the tablet market, the iPad unarguably changed the game. While it hasn't made quite the impact like the iPhone has been doing for nearly the past ten years, it's difficult to ignore the iPad and how far its come since launch in 2010.

But is the iPad still relevant today? Considering how large the displays on our phones have become, that's a valid question. It also doesn't help that tablet sales have been on a decline lately. So, what's the deal?

To answer my own question, yes — I do believe the iPad is still relevant. And you know what? If the iPad Pro is anything to go by, the iPad brand as a whole is not going anywhere any time soon. Allow me to explain.

Tablets are not phones

Let's get the obvious out of the way... Tablets and phones? They're not the same thing. Sure, the iPad may seem like an oversized iPhone, but that one characteristic alone enables users to do things on a much grander scale. In other words, a larger display means more possibilities.

This especially applies to any app that encourages creativity or productivity. For example, try composing a Pages document on your iPhone. The convenience is certainly there, but when you attempt the same task on your iPad, you immediately notice the difference.

Tablets and phones have a nice way of complementing one another, but they each deserve to stand on their own.

Businesses love the iPad

This is something I regret not mentioning in my video, but I'm glad viewer Ryan Wells brought it up. He's absolutely right, by the way. Businesses do love the iPad, particularly in retail. It's a lot easier to present information to a customer on a tablet than it is on a notebook, primarily thanks to its lightweight and portable design.

Retail is just one example of how businesses can use tablets to their advantage. The iPad is widely used in medical facilities for inputting patient data, photographers have the opportunity to conveniently showcase their portfolio to potential clients, and restaurants are even using it to present what's on the menu.

For the average consumer, it just works

One of the best things about the iPad is that it works exactly as intended. Unlike traditional computers, using an iPad makes sense to just about everyone. You typically don't have to worry about software updates, security is pretty tight, and there's an app for almost every task at hand. I say 'almost' for a reason.

We are not at the point yet where tablets can completely replace the need for notebooks, but for the average user, the iPad does enough.

And finally, the iPad Pro could be huge

Apple's take on the professional side of the tablet market began with the iPad Pro in September 2015. While it wasn't anything radically different from what we were already used to, it did introduce two new devices that are worth paying attention to — the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil. Combine these accessories with multitasking in iOS, and you've got yourself a different kind of iPad.

Considering all the Facebook advertising that Apple has been doing lately for the iPad Pro, I'm thinking this is the beginning of something huge. It gives me confidence in saying that Apple has a plan in the works. What that plan is, we'll have to wait and see. Perhaps we'll see something new at WWDC 2017.

I can only imagine what the iPad Pro will turn into just a few years from now. Anyone have a time machine I can borrow?

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